lawyer

Students from all over the world come to Yale Law School to deepen their understanding of the law. The LL.M. program is truly global—both in the breadth of resources available through Yale Law School and in the composition of its student body. For the -15 academic year, for example, the 27 LL.M. students come from 16 different countries.

The Law School admits a limited number of graduate students each year to pursue studies in law beyond the first professional degree. Admission is generally open only to those committed to a career in teaching law.

No uniform course of study is prescribed for LL.M. candidates; courses  are elective, and students tailor their studies to their own interests. Subject to meeting degree requirements, each LL.M. candidate is invited to use the resources of the Law School in whatever program of study will best prepare that individual for a career in research and teaching.

Candidates for the M.S.L. degree are required to complete the first year of the J.D. program (27 units). There are four required first-term courses (Constitutional Law, Contracts, Procedure, and Torts; see First Term, in the chapter Academic Requirements and Options). First-term small groups are open only with the approval of the instructor. The M.S.L. candidate may substitute an elective for one of the first-term courses. The second term is entirely elective and affords opportunities for independent research and clinical experience in addition to regular courses and seminars. In the second term, students must take at least 10 graded units of the 12 units required. Typically no more than 6 units of credit for courses outside the Law School can be counted toward the degree. Students will be disqualified as M.S.L. candidates if they receive one Failure or more than one Low Pass during the two academic terms.